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Interspecific trait variability and local soil conditions modulate grassland model community responses to climate
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  • Franklin Alongi,
  • Jana Rüthers,
  • Justyna Giejsztowt,
  • Katrina LaPaglia,
  • Anke Jentsch
Franklin Alongi
Montana State University Bozeman

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Jana Rüthers
Universität Bayreuth
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Justyna Giejsztowt
Universität Bayreuth
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Katrina LaPaglia
Universität Bayreuth
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Anke Jentsch
Universität Bayreuth
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Abstract

High elevation grasslands provide critical services in agriculture and ecosystem stabilization. However, these ecosystems face elevated risks of disturbance due to predicted soil and climate changes. We experimentally exposed model grassland communities, comprised of three species grown on either local or reference soil, to varied climatic environments along an elevational gradient in the European Alps, measuring the effects on species and community traits. Although species-specific biomass varied across soil and climate, species’ proportional contributions to community-level biomass production remained consistent. Where species experienced low survivorship, species-specific biomass production was maintained through increased production of surviving individuals. Species responded directionally to climatic variation, segregating differentially by plant traits (including height, reproduction, biomass, survival, leaf dry weight, and leaf area) across all sites. Local soil variation drove stochastic trait responses across all species. This soil variability obscured climate-driven responses: we recorded no directional trait responses driven by climate. Our species-based approach contributes to our understanding of grassland community stabilization and suggests that these communities show some stability under climatic variation.
29 Sep 2021Submitted to Ecology and Evolution
30 Sep 2021Submission Checks Completed
30 Sep 2021Assigned to Editor
06 Oct 2021Reviewer(s) Assigned
12 Nov 2021Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
19 Nov 2021Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
04 Dec 20211st Revision Received
06 Dec 2021Submission Checks Completed
06 Dec 2021Assigned to Editor
06 Dec 2021Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
16 Dec 2021Editorial Decision: Accept